Hall of Fame

The Mandatory 2019 Hall of Fame: Our 20 Most Inspired Stories of the Year

By Erica Rivera

There’s so much wrong with the modern-day world, which is why it’s important to focus on what’s right. Every year, we here at Mandatory look back at the past 12 months of content and identify those stories that stirred us, uplifted us, and motivated us not just to do better, but to be better. We know you love us for our hilarious tweets of the week, GIF roundups, and funny photos, but in addition to entertaining you, we also want to inform and inspire you. These Hall of Fame stories capture the best of humanity, our writers’ talents, and the major stories we tackled in 2019.

Cover Photo: skynesher (Getty Images)

The Mandatory 2018 Hall of Fame: Our 20 Most Inspired Stories of the Year

The Mandatory 2018 Hall of Shame: 20 of This Year’s Biggest Fails

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Hall of Fame 2019

  • 15 Deleted Bond 25 Movie Titles Much Better Than ‘No Time to Die’

    15 Deleted Bond 25 Movie Titles Much Better Than ‘No Time to Die’

    We're psyched for the new 007 film but a little disappointed by the title. Luckily, we unearthed the rejected ones for your enjoyment. Read the story here.

    Photo: MGM

  • The Buzz: 6 Cannabis Companies That Are Already Giving Back

    The Buzz: 6 Cannabis Companies That Are Already Giving Back

    Do good and get high with these philanthropy-minded cannabis companies. Read the story here.

    Photo: joSon (Getty Images)

  • Inspire: Feminist Muslim Comedian Zahra Noorbakhsh Is A Stand-Up Superhero

    Inspire: Feminist Muslim Comedian Zahra Noorbakhsh Is A Stand-Up Superhero

    This feminist Muslim comedian uses humor to break down walls and ease tensions between people. Read her story and watch a video interview here.

  • Butterflies From Mexico Prove No Wall Will Stop Their Migration to California

    Butterflies From Mexico Prove No Wall Will Stop Their Migration to California

    Border control can't stop nature! These defiant butterflies literally flew in the face of Trump's wall dreams. Read the story here.

    Photo: Sylvain Cordier (Getty Images)

  • If Each of the Remaining Democratic Candidates Were a Halloween Candy, This Is What They’d Be

    If Each of the Remaining Democratic Candidates Were a Halloween Candy, This Is What They’d Be

    If each of the Democratic candidates running for president were a Halloween candy, maybe we’d finally agree on who the best candidate is. Or maybe we’d just end up in a food fight. Read the story here.

    Photos: SOPA Images / Contributor (Getty Images) and Amazon

  • Greta Thunberg Named Time’s Person of the Year For Standing Up to Climate Change, Old White Men Complain While Destroying Planet

    Greta Thunberg Named Time’s Person of the Year For Standing Up to Climate Change, Old White Men Complain While Destroying Planet

    When a 16-year-old climate change activist beats out the president for Time magazine's Person of the Year, something is finally going right with the world. Read the story here.

    Photo: Giorgio Perottino / Contributor (Getty Images)

  • Fast Film: Every Quentin Tarantino Movie in One Sentence

    Fast Film: Every Quentin Tarantino Movie in One Sentence

    Screenwriter-director Quentin Tarantino doesn't mince words. That's why we summed up every single one of his movie in a mere sentence each. Read the story here. 

    Photo: Miramax

  • Inspire: Justin Baldoni Is ‘Man Enough’ to Raise the Bar on Modern Masculinity

    Inspire: Justin Baldoni Is ‘Man Enough’ to Raise the Bar on Modern Masculinity

    Actor Justin Baldoni created Man Enough, a dinner party conversation with dudes, to break down societal messaging around being a "real man." Read the story and watch a video interview here.

  • 16 Celebrities Who Don’t Let Depression Hold Them Down (And Neither Should You)

    16 Celebrities Who Don’t Let Depression Hold Them Down (And Neither Should You)

    Depression doesn't discriminate. And it doesn't have to hold you back. These celebrities prove success is possible even when struggling with mental health issues. Read the story here.

    Photo: AMC

  • The Chief Hopper Handbook to Being an Adult That Kids Will Respect (And Other Stranger Things)

    The Chief Hopper Handbook to Being an Adult That Kids Will Respect (And Other Stranger Things)

    Hopper is a whole new breed of adult -- the kind children trust and admire -- and it's one we aspire to become. Read the story here.

    Photo: Netflix

  • Mandatory Movie Battles: ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ vs. ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’

    Mandatory Movie Battles: ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ vs. ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’

    2019 saw the release of a new Mister Rogers movie starring Tom Hanks -- but does it depict our childhood hero as well as the 2018 documentary? Read the story here.

    Photos: Tremolo Productions and TriStar Pictures

  • Inspire: Author Matthew Emerzian Wants to Know What Matters to You

    Inspire: Author Matthew Emerzian Wants to Know What Matters to You

    The author of Every Monday Matters wants to help you start your week with positivity and passion. Read the story and watch the video interview here.

  • 7 Ways To Fight Climate Change (While Letting Everyone Know Just How Manly You Are)

    7 Ways To Fight Climate Change (While Letting Everyone Know Just How Manly You Are)

    In this day and age, manning up means protecting the planet. We have some easy, sure-fire suggestions on how to do just that without sacrificing your masculinity. Read the story here.

    Photo: Blake Little (Getty Images)

  • Making a Real Man: 17 Chivalrous Acts We Want to Bring Back

    Making a Real Man: 17 Chivalrous Acts We Want to Bring Back

    Chivalry isn’t dead. It’s dormant. And it’s up to you, fine sir, to wake it the eff up. Read the story here.

    Photo: Lorado (Getty Images)

  • Inspire: Actress Serinda Swan Injects Her Passion With Action (And So Should You)

    Inspire: Actress Serinda Swan Injects Her Passion With Action (And So Should You)

    Actress Serinda Swan moonlights as the founder of Deedly, a non-profit that addresses personal and societal issues in schools. Read the story and watch the video interview here.

  • Honest Advice: How to Date a Trump Supporter Without Losing That Loving Feeling

    Honest Advice: How to Date a Trump Supporter Without Losing That Loving Feeling

    Don't let politics interfere with your love life. With these simple tips, you, too, can cross the party divide and date someone on the other side. Read the story here.

    Photo: Boston Globe / Contributor (Getty Images)

  • 11 Reasons Why Life Was Better Before the Internet

    11 Reasons Why Life Was Better Before the Internet

    We all love technology, but we're also wistful for the days before everyone had a smartphone in their hand. Read the story here.

    Photo: Netflix

  • The ‘Mr. Robot’ Guide to Living With Mental Health Issues (And Celebrating the Show’s Final Season)

    The ‘Mr. Robot’ Guide to Living With Mental Health Issues (And Celebrating the Show’s Final Season)

    People who have mental health issues (and let’s be honest, that’s most of us to some degree at some point in our lives) have found a kindred spirit in Elliot Alderson of Mr. Robot. We've learned a lot about living with mental illness from this riveting show and think you can, too. Read the story here.

    Photo: USA Network

  • ‘Sesame Street’ Turns 50: Our Favorite Celebrity Cameos

    ‘Sesame Street’ Turns 50: Our Favorite Celebrity Cameos

    Sesame Street is one of the few longtime television programs that just gets cooler with age. Part of what makes it so entertaining for all ages is the ongoing celebrity cameos. We picked our favorites. Read the story here.

    Photo: PBS

  • RIP Lil Bub: The Internet’s Cutest Cat Goes to Pet Heaven (But She’ll Live On Forever In These GIFs)

    RIP Lil Bub: The Internet’s Cutest Cat Goes to Pet Heaven (But She’ll Live On Forever In These GIFs)

    Lil Bub wasn’t only about internet fame and fortune. She was the instigator for the first national special needs pet fund, fundraised over $700K for animals in need, and participated in scientific research. Read the story here.

    Photo: @iamlilbub (Instagram)
Erica Rivera
Erica Rivera

Erica Rivera is the Editorial Development Manager at Evolve Media, where she curates content for ComingSoon, DogTime, Mandatory, and Momtastic. Her freelance writing has appeared in New York magazine, USA Today, the Star Tribune, City Pages, and many other publications and anthologies. She has interviewed hundreds of artists, authors, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and changemakers over the course of her career. She is also the author of Insatiable (Penguin Group, 2009) and Come Again (Thought Catalog Books, 2015). For more, visit: www.ericarivera.net.

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